


[sleepless in santa fe]

by Kaylen



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Drunk Texting, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn, Text Buddies, Wrong number
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 11:43:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7616740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaylen/pseuds/Kaylen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesse McCree solicits a phone number from a bar. It does not belong to the cute girl he was talking to, but a grumpy Japanese man halfway across the world.</p><p>Hanzo Shimada does not find the antics of the drunk American currently texting him funny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	[sleepless in santa fe]

From: Unknown Number [10:03]  
you know darlin leavin me in the dust like that was mighty rude  
  
but maybe we can meet up again tonight at the same bar downtown  
  
what do you say to that

To: Unknown Number [10:23]  
I say that whoever this “darlin” was has no intention of seeing you ever again.

Good to know my phone number is being used as a fake number for desperate men at bars.

From: Unknown Number [10:24]  
shit

To: Unknown Number [10:24]  
Indeed.

From: Unknown Number [10:25]  
well who else am i supposed to meet up with at the bar tonight

To: Unknown Number [10:27]  
That is not my problem.

From: Unknown Number [10:30]  
will you go?

To: Unknown Number [10:31]  
No.

From: Unknown Number [10:31]  


To: Unknown Number [10:35]  
Are you a child? You are clearly capable of going to bars by yourself and making new friends.

From: Unknown Number [10:36]  
doesnt make it any less lonely  
  
26 isnt a child sweetheart

To: Unknown Number [10:45]  
You should not be going to bars this early in the day.  
  
Are you an alcoholic?  
  
Also, do not call me sweetheart.

From: Unknown Number [10:47]  
darlin its almost 8 in the evening  
  
alcoholic may be stretching it a bit far  
  
i do like drinking when i can  
  


To: Unknown Number [10:55]  
Childish.  
  
But this explains the English.  
  
Good night, Alcoholic-san. Our conversation is done.  
  
I do not appreciate the term darling either.

Shutting his phone off, Hanzo rubbed his temples and sighed. Some idiot in America had managed to get their hands on his phone number. An unlucky string of digits that the object of his drunken obsession had given in place of her own number. It could be worse, he repeated to himself. The American could have attempted to call him.

He sighed again.

If Genji heard him sighing this much, his brother would undoubtedly have teased him. The thought made him wonder where Genji actually was. They were supposed to have lunch with their father and the rest of the clan’s elders that day, and he hadn’t yet heard a word from his younger brother. Hanzo grimaced as he stood, shoving the phone into the pocket of his hakama and stretching his arms over his head. He had been sitting for far too long. Ignoring his stiffness, he made his way across the castle, looking for any sign of the younger Shimada.

When it appeared that Genji hadn’t even been awake yet that day, Hanzo quickened his pace, sliding open the door to the boy’s room a bit too forcefully. The wall shook, and it startled the younger ninja awake. He sat up in his futon quickly, hand fumbling around for some kind of weapon. His hand landed on a rounded shape beside him, and a woman with short-cropped black hair stirred beneath it before sitting up.

“Genji-kun, what’s going on?” she mumbled in Japanese, rubbing her eyes.

Hanzo was furious, but he needed to stay calm. However, when a second voice chimed in that sounded suspiciously masculine and didn’t belong to his brother, Hanzo was ready to break something.

“Ah, Shimada-sama.” A man with long black hair sat up next to the girl, picking up the glasses folded neatly next to the futon and slipping them onto his face. He pulled a hair tie from his wrist and tied his hair back in a low ponytail, before smiling at Hanzo. “We were just keeping your younger brother company last night. No cause for alarm.”

Hanzo grit his teeth, eyes taking in the scene in front of him. Genji with his obnoxiously bright green hair sitting next to a woman, of whom he was unfamiliar with, and a man who he knew all too well, all sharing Genji’s singular futon. It was disgraceful. Genji just grinned stupidly at him.

“Anija, do not worry. They will be gone and I will be ready in time for lunch with father. I did not forget.”

Hanzo scowled at his brother, wondering how the boy could be so calm and and live life so carelessly. “Do not be late,” he growled, “you know that I will be the one who takes the blame if you are.”

The younger boy nodded solemnly and Hanzo left, though not before giving a curt nod to the other two. The woman must have been from town, he thought, but the man. The man was one of his father’s underlings. A recent addition, but still many years older than Genji. He would speak to his father about this after lunch.

Taking his phone from his pocket, Hanzo turned it back on. He did not expect the sudden flood of messages, especially since it had been less than half an hour. They were all from the American who had wrongfully texted him earlier.

From: Unknown Number [10:56]  
well wait just a dang minute i wasnt done talkin to you  
  
whats with this alcoholic san business  
  
i aint no alcoholic thats for sure  
  
san is a japanese thing right

From: Unknown Number [11:07]  
are you tellin me that not only did i miss out on a number for a cute girl the number she gave me is for a japanese phone  
  
please tell me youre a girl too  
  
darlin you aint just gonna leave me hanging are you

From: Unknown Number [11:16]  
you there sweetheart  
  
honeybunch  
  
cutiepie  
  
cmon babe give me a sign

To: Unknown Number [11:23]  
Would a “Stop” sign suffice?  
  
This is ridiculous and I will not take any part in it.  
  
Yes, I am currently in Japan, no I am not a woman, and even if I was there is no chance I would ever be interested in a man like you.  
  
Now just leave me alone.

From: Unknown Number [11:26]  
well ill be damned  
  
youre like a lightnin strike in july  
  
settin all the brush on fire  
  
you should calm down there sparky

To: Unknown Number [11:30]  
Excuse me?

From: Unknown Number [11:31]  
what was that name you called me earlier  
  
alcoholic san  
  
feels right i should get to give you a nickname too

To: Unknown Number [11:32]  
And what if I refuse your nickname, Alcoholic-san?

From: Unknown Number [11:33]  
dont matter a thing ill still call you sparky anyways  
  
unless…

To: Unknown Number [11:35]  
Spit it out, you idiot.

From: Unknown Number [11:35]  
unless you give me a better nickname one thats not as mean

To: Unknown Number [11:36]  
This is foolish.

From: Unknown Number [11:36]  
thats fine of you to think that  
  
sparky

To: Unknown Number [11:38]  
...I will think on it.  
  
I have an important meeting I must attend to so I will respond once I am finished.

From: Unknown Number [11:41]  
dont leave me alone for too long sweetcheeks  
  
lol

Putting his phone on vibrate, Hanzo waited beside the car. Genji was still not there, and the agreed time for lunch was exactly noon. He frowned and dialed the younger Shimada’s phone, impatient for it to pick up. When it went to voicemail, he was furious. The phone got the brunt of his anger though, being thrown violently against the ground. Hanzo stared at it, and wondered when he had become so angry so often. The phone was picked up slowly, dusted off, and put back in his pocket, no more worse for wear despite his abuse.

“Anija!” Hanzo’s head turned to the sound of Genji’s voice. Thankfully, it looked like he had washed and was almost presentable. “I had to convince Chiyo-chan and Kawaguchi-san to leave before I could shower. Kawaguchi-san was reasonable, but it took a bit more to persuade Chiyo-chan.”

Hanzo listened to his brother rattle on as the two of them got into the car. Genji had switched to a different topic now, and was talking excitedly. The older man was just focused on getting to the restaurant on time. Their father had mentioned a new western restaurant he wanted to go to in the next town over. Hanzo had already given the directions to the driver while waiting for Genji, and now it was just a waiting game.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket a few times during the drive to the restaurant, but chose to ignore it despite the urge to have some kind of distraction from the clock ticking down. But as they got closer, he couldn’t help himself and checked his phone.

From: Unknown Number [11:54]  
im already lonely  
  
this alcohol tastes like shit  
  
drinking convenience store beer at 9 pm in your bed kind of sucks

Covering his mouth and shutting off the display on his phone again, Hanzo had to force himself not to laugh. Whoever the man on the other side of the line was, he almost felt sorry for him at this point. Genji was staring at him suspiciously, so he shoved his phone in his pocket. They had made it to the restaurant with a few minutes to spare.

Hanzo stared up at the sign.

It was an American steakhouse.

He scowled. He hadn’t expected the place to be so incredibly western that it was actually modeled after the American West.

For some reason, he could imagine Alcoholic-san fitting right in at a place like this. It was most likely due to the way his texts read, like an American with a Southern accent. Hanzo shook off the thought and hurried into the restaurant, straightening out his suit as Genji followed after him. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, but decided whatever it was could wait.

At a table in the back of the restaurant, he could see his father already seated with two of the clan elders, two seats for him and Genji open across from them. He flinched when his father turned to watch him and Genji cross the room.

“Otousan.” They both spoke in unison.

“Hanzo. Genji. Glad to see you two here only a single minute late.You’re improving.” Hanzo bowed deeply, Genji following suit, before they both sat down. The elder Shimada brother noted glumly that there would be no chopsticks at this lunch. The table was set with nice silverware. It truly was an American restaurant.

The waiter came over quickly with the menus and the drink selection, all in English. Hanzo would be the last to admit his English was anything less than perfect, but it certainly wasn’t the best. If anything, it was one of the skills Genji excelled at more than he did. Texts were easy, bits and pieces of the language that he could digest. But the monstrous menu was starting to best him when he’d barely made it to the second page.

Genji glanced over at Hanzo, whose brow was furrowed. “Anija, are you okay? Do you need help?”

Scowling, Hanzo flipped through the menu. He would need no such thing, especially from Genji. Finally, his eyes found the steak section, eyes scanning for anything he could comprehend. A finger suddenly invaded his line of sight, pointing to a line farther down the page. Sirloin steak, potatoes, mixed vegetables. It was simple, yet provided plenty to eat. Hanzo glanced at Genji, who gave him a thumbs up. Of course his brother would know exactly what he was looking for.

When the waiter returned, it became quite obvious just how rusty his English skills had gotten. Hanzo could feel his father’s eyes watching his every movement, and it unsettled him. He hadn’t spoken to him or Genji yet, which also worried him. Struggling through his order, he could see the growing frown on his father’s face from the corner of his eye; even more upsetting. Genji’s order was much clearer, and Hanzo knew his English was definitely something he’d have to work on.

After their meals had been ordered and drinks had been brought to the table, their father began to speak.”So, my sons, how do you feel about travelling?”

Genji and Hanzo shared a confused glance. Genji was no stranger to leaving the country, but Hanzo had only left a few times, both with their parents to America. They had been family trips. What their father was implying clearly involved flying solo.

Genji grinned, “Enthusiastic.”

Hanzo responded, “Willing.”

The elder Shimada nodded and rested his clasped hands on the table. “I have some business associates in the States who I haven’t heard from in quite some time. You are going to check on them for me.”

Hanzo frowned. So that’s what this had been about. Sending his sons to America. He must have thought it would be funny to tell them the news over steaks and English menus.

“You got it, Otousan!” Genji was excited, and Hanzo couldn’t blame him. Being out from under the watchful eye of the clan elders was a luxury they were afforded very rarely. Yet Hanzo felt uneasy. However, there was nothing he could do but gratefully accept the task from their father .

“You will not be disappointed.” Hanzo bowed his head, Genji quickly following suit.

“I should think not. This is an important job I’m assigning to the both of you. You will be sent to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where you’ll be staying, but the group operates out of a small town farther down Route 66. I will give you their last known location, but how you handle this situation is your choice.”

Hanzo nodded silently. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket again.

The rest of the meal was boring, minute details, combined with eating in silence. Their father paid the bill and departed first, but not before telling them that their flight was scheduled to leave the following morning.

“How’s that, Anija? Finally a chance to spread your wings a little!” Genji laughed and clapped him on the back, making Hanzo grimace. Genji was taking the situation far too lightly, he thought. The trip just made him nervous.

“I have been perfectly content with my position, Genji. You are the one who relishes the chance to be ‘free’.”

The younger Shimada waved him off with a grin before walking off, leaving Hanzo on his own beside the car. Hanzo sighed and pulled out his phone.

From: Unknown Number [12:00]  
its hiiigh noon

From: Unknown Number [12:45]  
did i get your timezone right if this damn phone lied to me and its not actually noon there yet then im going to invest in a new phone

To: Unknown Number [13:12]  
No need to go so far, Cowboy-san  
  
What exactly possessed you so badly that you needed to text me that?

From: Cowboy-san [13:13]  
cowboy san eh  
  
not bad  
  
and no particular reason samurai guy

To: Cowboy-san [13:15]  
Ninja.

From: Cowboy-san [13:15]  
ninja   
  
like naruto? 

To: Cowboy-san [13:17]  
Not exactly.  
  
You may continue to call me “samurai” if you wish.

From: Cowboy-san [13:17]  
well then samurai my guy  
  
this is the beginnin of a beautiful friendship

To: Cowboy-san [13:20]  
According to you, Cowboy-san.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 8/27: If you're re-reading this fic, thank you! You also might notice some changes. I found a code that I like pretty well as a texting format, and so I've changed this first chapter so that it will match future chapters. Thank you again!


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